Deoxidation of nonferrous metals



Patented July 24, 1934 U ITED STATES DEOXIDATION 0F NONFERROUS IMETALS Willi Claus, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany, assignor to Ernst Brandus No Drawing. Application October 22,1931, Serial No. 570,495. In Germany May 12, 1930 3Claims.

The use of phosphorus as a medium for nonferrous smelting is well known as is also the use of alloys of copper and tin base for such purpose.

The use of these deoxidizing materials requires considerable expense, firstly because the base oi the alloy is very expensive, and secondly because the maximum percentage of the phosphorus content of known phosphorus alloys is not made use of, since such alloys are so brittle as to break in transit and in use.

The object of the invention is the use of such materials which are of considerably lower cost than those now used with known deoxidizing media: Thus it becomes possible to produce compounds, well applicable for deoxid' ning, by a mere mixing of finely powdered metals and alloys with amorphous, red phosphorus, or with easily pulverizable basic alloys, with high content of phosphorus, or with phosphides respectively.

For convenience such compounds are transformed into forms, if necessary by pressure and use of a binding substance, and which thus promote in the first place the physico-chemical process (meltin difiusion) taking place within the compounds, and furthermore facilitate ease of handling. These forms may, for instance, have the shape of a ball or of a cylinder, and in order to protect these against outer, especially atmospheric influences etc., the forms are coated with a suitable inorganic or organic substance.

The forms may be provided with special protective covers, preferably by metallic coating or protective jackets.

Tests have shown that in the commercial manufacture and use of compressed forms of waste material or by-products of metallic kind (for instance zinc' dust) in connection with amorphous phosphorus, alloys of high phosphorus content respectively, or real phosphide in finely powdered state, the same favorable results are obtained as with the use of pure metallic powder or metal alloys. Thus cost of production is further reduced.

There may also be employed metals or alloys in solid, consistent form in connection with amorphous phosphorus, or alloys of high phosphorus content respectively, or real phosphides in finely powdered state, as for instance hollow forms of zinc, filled with loose, or compressed phosphorus, which may be mechanically compressed in the case of increased operating temperature. These forms of any desired size and shape have, for instance, a core of amorphous phosphorus and the required metal in the form of a zinc jacket.

The invention set forth has the advantage of rendering possible the use of less costlyphosphorus alloys, than have been employed thus far, involving use of cheaper or waste material, whereby considerable saving is effected. This method permits at the same time the production of forms with the suitable metal or phosphorus content, or to maintain stocks of suitable composition in accordance with the given operating requirements, i. e. at changing oxygen content or. the smelting as well as with regard to the desired properties of the metal product.

I claim 1. The method of decxidizing non-ferrous metals which consists in adding thereto zinc dust and red phosphorus held together by a binder.

2. The method of deoxidizing non-ferrous metals which consists in adding thereto a compressed pellet composed of waste zinc dust and red phosphorus.

3. The method of deoxidizing non-ferrous metals which consists in introducing hollow forms of zinc filled with phosphorus.

WILLI CLAUS. 

